As stated in
Part One of this subject, it is our intention to use mostly quotations from
That Servant, and we now proceed on that basis. Our first offering is from
Reprints 5168, column 2 (written January 15, 1913 – just one and one half years
before the outbreak of the Great War):

“The fact that
so many have been thus accepted since 1878 seems to imply that there has been a
considerable vacancy in the list of the elect, and that it is gradually filling
up. It is not for us to say how much of a vacancy remains, or when it will be
filled. We fully believe, that it will be filled before the close of ‘the Times
of the Gentiles,’ which we think will end with October, 1914.

“As for others
who have not yet consecrated themselves, we can say with St. Paul, “I beseech
you... brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice.’ (Rom. 12:1) Do your best. It may be that there is an opening and
you may get in. Consecrate your time, your talents, all that you have, to the
service of God. He is a good paymaster; whatever reward He may give you will be
a prize.”

KINGDOM WORK THIS SIDE THE VEIL

From Reprint
5631, column 2: “We are not surprised at these conditions; for long ago they
were foretold in the Word of God. We were assured that our day would witness
the fulfillment of the prophecies along these lines. Wherever we look, we
witness the disintegration of the present order, whether we view the conditions
from a social, or religious, or a financial standpoint. The lease of power to
the Kingdoms of this word has
expired. [It expired at the end of the Gentile Times when the day of God’s
special wrath came – in the Epiphany, the great Time of Trouble.] It was
foretold by the Prophet Daniel that ‘in the days of these kings,’ before their
utter overthrow, the God of heaven would set up a kingdom [when the last saint
had been selected, the Kingdom was “set up”] which should smite and break in
pieces all the kingdoms of men, the beastly kingdoms of Daniel’s dream. When
these kingdoms would be given to ‘the people of the saints of the Most High,’
they were to ‘smite them in pieces as a potter’s vessel.’ This intimates that
in some sense of the word the Lord will take possession of these before they
have been completely overthrown; that some of the kingdoms represented in the
Gentile image will be remaining at that time.

“What time,
then, is signified by the expression ‘in the days of these kings,’ when the
Kingdom of God was to be set up in power? To our understanding the first step
in the setting up of this Kingdom was the raising of the sleeping saints of the
Gospel Age, which we believe was in the Spring of 1878. Then began the
glorification of the Church. The work of setting up the Kingdom has, we
understand, been progressing from that date, arid is now merely lacking the
last members of the Church class. When these shall have taken their places as
members of the Church in glory, the Kingdom will be fully set up.

“This does not
signify that there may not be a part of the Kingdom work begun while some of
the members of Christ are still in the flesh. Indeed some Scriptures seem to
imply that there will be a Kingdom work done this side the veil, while a work
of still greater magnitude and authority is progressing on the other side of
the veil. We read, ‘Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon
their beds.’ (Psa. 149:5) This seems to imply, as we have mentioned before,
that there is a special work to be done while these saints still have beds,
while they are in a condition of repose – not ‘tossed to and fro, and carried
about by every wind of doctrine’ (Eph. 4:14), but fully at rest in God’s great
plan. The Scriptures go on to say that they have a two‑edged sword in their
hands – which is the Word of God. They use it as the sword of the Spirit. This
would not be true of them on the other side of the veil. They would have no use
for a sword there. The Scriptures also declare that the high‑sounding praises
of God are upon their lips. This, too, seems to be applicable to those this
side the veil.” (Written February 15, 1915)

Then from
Reprint 5632: “The final phase, ‘to execute the judgments written,’ would seem
to imply that there would be something for the saints on this side of the veil
to do in connection with the execution of the judgments upon the nations. As to
just what this means, we have not yet fully learned. But we see nothing here to
conflict with the thought that the Lord’s Kingdom may be properly understood to
have begun operations and that the present smiting of the nations is under Kingdom control. The fact that
some of the members of the Kingdom class are
still in the flesh does not militate at all against this thought. We see the kingdoms of this world now being dashed to
pieces, and we axe expecting to see the process continued until they are
completely ground to powder. ‘They shall become as the chaff of the summer
threshing‑floor, and the wind shall carry them away. Then shall they be found
no more at all.’ (Dan. 2:35) [“And this honor have all the saints.” – Psa.
149:9]

“THE KINGDOM OF GOD SET UP: Because certain ‘important
things are to be accomplished, we see that God is permitting what to others
might seem to be purely human devilishness. For a wise purpose He permits this
reign of lawlessness, this condition which evokes universal odium. Our thought
is that we should look for still further evidences day by day that the Gentile
Times have ended, and that God’s Kingdom has begun its work. [God’s Kingdom is
the Christ Company]... The present step is the war of the nations. The next
step will be Socialism – an attempted Socialism – among the people. Then the
third step, Anarchy, will gradually come on. When this symbolic fire shall
prevail, then the world will realize what we are trying to tell them now;
namely, that God’s Kingdom is taking control, and that these various
demonstrations are evidences that our Lord is taking His great power.
[Armageddon, or world‑wide Revolution, is the final step, according to the
Jehovah’s Witnesses.]

“At the sounding
of the seventh trumpet Messiah was to take unto Himself His great power and
reign. That trumpet is now sounding! ‘And the nations were angry and thy wrath
[the great Time of Trouble starting in 1914] is come.’ (Rev. 11:18) Surely the
nations are angry now! They act as if they were bereft of common sense. We see
readily enough that the spirit of selfishness has prevailed there right along,
but that some hindrance or fear heretofore held them back. But finally, when
the Lord’s ‘due time’ has come to permit it, they broke through their
restraint. The Lord has at this particular time especially to do with the
affairs of the nations. And this war was allowed to occur at about the end of
the Gentile Times, at the appropriate time when they are to be dashed to pieces
with the iron rod of the iron rule (Psa. 2:6‑12). It is our judgment that we
shall see more of this iron rule and its breaking influence, not only upon the
nations, but upon society at large. Now in this great day of the Lord
everything that can be shaken is to be shaken to pieces and shaken out, to the
intent that nothing unrighteous or unworthy shall remain. God Himself is doing
the shaking (Hag. 2:6,7).

“THE TIME FOR JUDGMENT IS RIPE: We believe that the Times of
the Gentiles ended just on time, as shown in Volume 2 of Studies in the
Scriptures. The hand of justice is now doing the breaking – the nations shall
be broken as a ‘potter’s vessel.’ The whole cataclysm of trouble may be upon
the world during the next ten months, or it may be longer deferred. We believe
that the time for the setting up of the Kingdom was on September 21, 1914.
[Otherwise the “judgment written” (Psa. 149:9) would not have been pronounced;
the ejection is now going on.] At that time, when it was due for our Lord to
take His great power and reign, the nations were already angry. They were at
war over a month in advance of the time, because so angry.

“The due time
for the ‘wrath’ was September 21, 1914. We are expecting to see this wrath
still more manifest. The nations have been in just this same unloving spirit
one toward another for a number of years, but apparently they have been under
some forcible restraint. We believe that God’s time had not yet come. We
wondered, and many people wondered, how their anger could be restrained much
longer; much has been written about it in the newspapers. When the Balkan war
came [1912‑1913], it was because the nations were angry; and it very nearly led
to this conflagration. Austria tried to precipitate the trouble at that time,
but the German Kaiser held back. Now the restraining hand has been removed. The
time is ripe.” (Reprint 5632, February 15, 1915)

In 1914‑16 the
first smiting of Jordan was taking place, although Brother Russell did not then
fully realize it. However, we should keep in mind that the River Jordan in some
instances types the human race under the curse; and its rapid fall in a very
short space from the clear water of the mountains to the “sea of salt” the Dead
Sea graphically portrays the downward course of the human race under the curse
of sin and death. As the Jordan empties into the Dead Sea, it ends in the
lowest body of water on earth’s surface 1296 feet below sea level.

From a second
viewpoint the Jordan types Christendom, which also has experienced a tragic
fall from the pristine purity of the early Church under the Apostles to its
present depraved position of Babylon. And it is this latter picture that is
represented in the first smiting of Jordan. As the war progressed after its
commencement in 1914, the people of Christendom became more and more divided
into two very distinct classes – the Conservatives and the Radicals. Those of
us who had personal experience with that first smiting recall very vividly how
pronounced the cleavage became. We had some of the radicals tell us personally,
“Just wait till the war is over, and we’ll then show the Uppercrust what this
is all about.” And the turmoil everywhere in evidence now offers pronounced
testimony to the seriousness of that division.

And of that
first smiting we have the clear Scripture – “This honor have all his saints.” (Psa. 149:9) Under this
latter heading Brother Russell quotes more from the same Psalm:

“‘Let the saints
be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises
of God be in their mouth, and a two‑edged sword in their hand; to execute
vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their
kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them
the judgment written: this honor have all
his saints.’ (Psa. 149:5‑9)

“We are
frequently asked whether we understand that there is to come a time when the
Lord’s people, the saintly ones, while still in the flesh, will have a full
understanding of the entire Word of God, including the dark expressions of
Ezekiel, Zechariah, Revelation, etc. In reply we usually remind the questioners
that eighteen hundred years ago St. Paul wrote, ‘Take unto you the whole armor
of God’ (Eph. 6:13,17), including ‘the sword of the spirit, which is the Word
of God’; and that we are therefore to understand that St. Paul himself and
other Christians of his time had the ‘Sword of the Spirit.’ We are sure,
however, that they did not understand certain portions of the Word of God which
were not then due to be understood; for instance, that portion of Daniel’s
prophecy which the angel said was to be sealed up until ‘the time of the end,’
and many other prophecies which were not then unfolded. This has always been
more or less true ever since. Prophecy unfolds gradually. Today more is due to
be understood than ever before.” (Reprint 5803, bottom, November 15, 1915)

We are convinced
that there were quite a few saints in the various Truth groups after Brother
Russell’s demise who disagreed with one another on certain Scriptures; but
during the smiting – when That Servant was with us – they were all in harmony
on the work then due to be done, and in one group. “Thy watchmen shall lift up
the voice; with the voice together shall
they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.”
(Isa. 52:8) And we do know there was complete harmony in the Truth group about
the work they were to do then. The “gathering” of the saints was complete after
they were sealed in their foreheads with Present Truth. As That Servant has
said, prophecy unfolds gradually. Today more is to be understood than ever
before. Today we know some things that Jesus Himself did not know when He was
on earth. “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only.” (Matt. 24:36) We know that we are in “that day.”

“We are not to
understand that the Bible will have no value in the incoming Age, but rather to
the contrary of this. Our thought is that the Bible will be used then. not so
much as a sole means of communicating God’s will, but as a source of
information, much as we now use histories. It will enlighten men respecting God’s
laws, etc. There is nothing to indicate that every matter that the Bible treats
will be seen clearly by the Church while we
are on this side the veil. The Apostle says that ‘now we see through a glass
obscurely’; but that beyond the veil we shall see ‘face to face.’ We shall see
clearly; for we shall then be like our Lord. Now we know in part, but then ‘we
shall know even as we are known.’ (1 Cor. 13:12)” (Bottom of Reprint 5803, and
top of 5804)

Indeed, we
believe that the Restitutionists – the obedient – will understand more of the
Bible than we do now. The faithful Restitutionists will be able to understand
all the doctrines of the Bible, we believe – including the two salvations, the “Great”
and the “Common.” The only thing that the “natural man” cannot now appreciate
is spirit-begettal – “the things of the spirit” – nor will it be necessary for
them, as they will not be of the heavenly class. And it is true now of the
fully consecrated unbegotten, they understand the doctrines of the Bible – all
necessary for the work the Lord gives them to do, and all that is necessary to
be of the Worthy Class. In fact, all now in Present Truth understand much more
than any of the saints before the Harvest period; and some understand more than
some spirit‑begotten. However, it is also true of the spirit-begotten – the
Little Flock and the Great Company – that they will understand enough to
continue in their class standing. However, the Worthies are different from the
Restitutionists in that the faithful will be spirit‑begotten at the end of the
Kingdom and receive a heavenly reward. The Restitutionists will not have this opportunity, nor will they have heavenly
aspirations. They will be happy with “paradise on earth.”

“THE WORK NOW GOING ON: In speaking of this present
time [1915], as we think, the Prophet David says, ‘Let the saints be joyful in
glory, let them sing aloud upon their beds.’ The children of God should be
joyful at all times – even in tribulation – knowing that these experiences work
out for us a development of character and a preparation for the Kingdom
glories. The Psalmist here foretells that the saints at this time are at rest
upon their beds, while they sing God’s praise. This statement might be
meaningless to us until we understand from other Scriptures that these beds
represent creed or the sum total of one’s religious belief.

“While some are
reclining on a short creed bed, which cramps and fetters them, and the narrow
covers of which cannot give them warmth and comfort, the true saints of God
have at this time beds of full and
proper size, and a cover which is warm and ample. They are shown in this
prophetic picture as taking their ease, resting in faith, while others are
restless and uncomfortable. But while thus resting in these good beds,
representing their mental attitude and heart condition, and while praising the
Lord, they are using skillfully the ‘two‑edged sword.’ This sword in their
hands is the Bible. The thought is
not necessarily that God’s people have absolute knowledge of every feature of God’s Word; but that they have all the knowledge
needful to the efficient use of the sword at this time, all the knowledge designed for the saints now,
when this prophecy applies.

“‘Let the high‑sounding
praises of God be in their mouths’ (Psa. 149:6), urges the Psalmist. We believe
that this is more and more becoming true. The saints can praise God more
intelligently and fully now than ever before. We can see our Lord’s character
better, because much of the ignorance, misconception, mysteries and obscurity
have fled away. God’s Word is shining out with more brightness than ever. We cannot
see that our Brother John Calvin could have had very much of the ‘high‑sounding
praise of God’ in his mouth, for it is surely not a high‑sounding praise to
declare that our God would assign thousands of millions of humanity to an
eternity of torture. Nor can it be said of people today who teach this same
horrible doctrine, that they have the ‘high‑sounding praise of God in their
mouths.’

“God’s name is blasphemed,
and His glorious character traduced and misrepresented every day. The world is
told that God has a devilish plan – that He has made a hell in which to torture
a very large part of humanity; and that He has the devils there already doing
the torturing, and that this will go on throughout eternity. There are no high‑sounding
praises connected with any such beliefs and teachings. But the Lord’s people
who keep close to His Word are now able to tell forth the wondrous Story of God’s
love. wisdom, justice and power as never before. And the Truth is surely
accomplishing a work in the binding and fettering of error. We believe that the
words of the Psalmist in this text are being fulfilled at this time. To some
extent at least we are already engaging in the great work here depicted.”

(Reprint top of 5804, columns 1 and 2, November 15, 1915)

The Epiphany
Messenger has elaborated on the above truths, as well as the 40‑year Harvest
and the two and a half years overlapping from the Parousia into the Epiphany
period. When he taught that the Epiphany and the Time of Trouble are identical
– one and the same period – he was not bringing out any advancing Truth,
because That Servant had also taught that the Epiphany and the great Time of
Trouble are one and the same.

“To the very
best of our ability we have endeavored to make clear that the parousia of our
Lord is wholly different from His epiphaneia. Both of these Greek words are
translated coming in our common Bible, but in the Greek they have very
different significations. The word parousia signifies presence, but does not
signify any outward manifestation of that presence. It is used in respect to
the first stage of the Second Advent, in which our Lord is said to come ‘as a
thief in the night’ to reckon with His own servants and to take the faithful of
them with Him to the heavenly mansion or condition prepared for them.

“Our Lord’s parousia and
gathering of the elect, we understand, has been in progress since 1874. It will
continue until all of the ‘elect’ shall have been gathered and glorified. [The
quotations of a later date show where That Servant changed his mind about the
glorification of all the saints by 1914.] In one sense our Lord will continue
to be present as the world’s King to the conclusion of the Millennial Age; but
His parousia in the sense of secrecy of presence, will terminate when, as the
Scriptures declare, ‘He shall be revealed in flaming fire [judgments], taking
vengeance on all who will not obey the truth, ‘ but enlightening and
revivifying all who will hear and, to the extent of their opportunity, obey His
message. The parousia is to the Church and for the Church only. The epiphaneia
or apokalypsis of the Lord in power and great glory is not to the Church nor
for the Church, but to the world and for the world. ‘When he shall thus appear
we also shall appear with him in glory,’ the Apostle declares. (Col. 3:4)”

(Reprints 4543, bottom, column 1 and 2, January 1, 1910)

“AN ASTOUNDING STATEMENT: At the epiphaneia, or bright shining, of the Lord’s
manifestation, God will have completed His present work of directing the
Church, and the world will be informed that they are under a different
dispensation. When the world shall have come to understand the matter fully
they will know the truth of our Lord’s words in His last prayer with His
disciples, that the Father loves the Church as He loves the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a very astounding statement. It shows that there is nothing selfish in
our Lord. He did not say, ‘They will always be inferior to me. They will never
have the glory that I shall have.’“

(Reprints
5359, top, column 1, par. 2. December 1, 1913)

There is much
more by That Servant on the Parousia and Epiphany, but the above will suffice
for now. We all know that Brother Johnson’s expectancy for the duration of the
Time of Trouble – or Epiphany – did not mature; but the duration of this
Epiphany has continued much longer than That Servant also expected. And some of
the Lord’s people have stumbled over these miscalculations, which we believe
were permitted by the Lord for the testing of His people. However, those very
mistakes did energize the Lord’s people to continue with zeal to “preach the
Gospel.” At the First Advent the disciples did not realize that the Kingdom was
about 2,000 years in the future. Had they known, it would have discouraged many
of the believers at that time.

Some of the Lord’s
faithful people today, who believe they consecrated when the High Calling was
still open, cannot give up their hope of being of the Christ Company. Of those
who still entertain that belief we believe they number far more than the
144,000 who will constitute that select group. But we maintain a tender
sympathy for such, because of our own experience along the same line. It is
probably well to recall here that none in the Truth Movement believed the High
Calling was closed until Passover 1918 – almost four years after it had been an
accomplished fact: Thus, considerable effort was put forth to win others to
that Company – when, in fact, it was an impossibility. However, the many errors
that were produced by the Society after 1916 caused us to leave them; although
we feel indebted yet for the solid truths we learned before leaving them, which
they were teaching at that time. And, while some of our very good friends
stayed with the Society, it is our opinion now that they made their calling and
election sure.

“Let us reason
together, saith the Lord” (Isa. 1:18), if there were enough saints in at 1881,
then all who came in after that time would be those who had taken the crown of
those who lost their crowns after that date; and those who took those crowns
then lost them were also filled by others. Isn’t it reasonable that the vacancy
was filled by 1914? Isn’t it reasonable to believe that there could be no more
spirit‑begettals after that date? We believe that all the saints had been sealed
in the forehead before That Servant’s demise, although those who were begotten
by 1914 did not receive the forehead sealing of Present Truth at that time – but
all of them did receive the forehead sealing in time to participate in Jordan’s
first smiting. (See Psalms 149:9)

The faithful
Ancient Worthies would have been eligible candidates for the High Calling, but
they lived too soon for that. The glowing words of Jesus concerning John the
Baptist eloquently confirm this: “Among them that are born of women there hath
not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in
the kingdom of heaven [the 144,000 members of the Christ Company] is greater
than he.” (Matt. 11:11) Much the same situation now prevails here in the end of
the Age. We believe there are Youthful Worthies today who would have been
eligible for the Christ Company, but they were born too late. They make the
same consecration as did the saints – to be dead to self and the world and
alive to God.

That Servant saw
the truth of this condition – and so expressed it – although he did not use the
name Youthful Worthies. He simply referred to them as a “class” who would be
accounted worthy to share with the Ancient Worthies “in honor and service” in
the Kingdom arrangement. Some of the Ancient Worthies probably suffered more
than did some of the saints of this Age; and we believe we have already seen
some of this same condition as respects the Youthful Worthies, and we may yet
see more of this.

That Servant
thought he might die a martyr’s death (although we are told he prayed to be
delivered from such an experience), and the Epiphany Messenger was fully
convinced he would be “violently seized.” However, both of them died in bed.
Brother Johnson believed as he did because he expected to see at least the
beginning of Anarchy. He has been dead now about 31 years [51 years in 2001],
and we have not yet experienced Armageddon. This latter could begin any day
now, which is sure to produce many casualties and shedding of blood. Then the
prophecy of Ezek. 7:19 will apply: “They shall cast their silver in the
streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not
be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord.”

However, our
readers may seek solace in the prophecy of Zeph. 2:3: “Seek righteousness, seek
humility, peradventure ye shall be concealed, in the day of the anger of
Yahweh.” (Rotherham) Present generosity will probably receive some
consideration at that time; only the very hardened criminals will abuse those
who have befriended them.

It is stated of
the Ancient Worthies that “these all obtained a good report through faith.”
(Heb. 11:39) Thus, any others who share “in honor and service” with them will
also “obtain a good report through
faith.” The eleventh Chapter of Hebrews contains a refreshing history of those
Ancients, and St. Paul tells us in Heb. 12:1‑3 that their examples should
stimulate us to better things. God does all things for the good of all, and He
knows what is best for us. “Wherefore... let us run with patience the race that
is set before us.” Presently, those of us who will be of that Class have a
greater knowledge of God’s Plan of Salvation than did any of those Ancients.
Some of them did not even understand what they wrote (Dan. 8:27; 12:8,9) – although
we now understand much of what they wrote.

It is our hope
and prayer that we have refreshed the minds of the Lord’s people by reproducing
some of the salient Truths given to us by the faithful Mouthpieces of God. “Wherefore
I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things,
though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.” (2 Peter 1:12)

“Behold, the eye
of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy. Let
thy mercy, 0 Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.” (Psa. 33:18,22) (John J. Hoefle, Reprint No. 411, June 1990)

___________________________________________________________________

AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST UN ON ISRAEL

Last week, the
American Jewish Committee issued a strong statement criticizing the “sad fate”
that befell Israel in UN history. In comparison to 188 of the 189 UN members
who served in the Security Council and other UN organs, the only exception
until very recently was Israel. The AJC revealed the following shocking facts:

“On November 29,
1947, the UN took what the New York
Herald‑Tribune described as ‘one of the few great acts of courageous
collective statesmanship which our shattered postwar world has been able to
achieve.’

“What was it? On
that momentous day, the General Assembly voted to divide the bitterly disputed
territory of the Palestine mandate between two new states – one Arab and one
Jewish.

“For the
democracies of the world, this was a major victory. The vote promised, or so it
seemed at the time, to open up new possibilities for the UN and for Israel – a
country that has much to contribute to the world.

“But, sad to
say, that is not what happened! At the UN today, Israel remains what Israel has
been for many years – a second‑class citizen.

“How bad is it?
Consider this: Of the 189 member nations of the UN, 188 may be elected to serve
a term on the powerful Security Council. Libya, for example, may serve on the
Council. So may North Korea and Iran. So, in fact, may Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

“But one country
in the world – and one country only – may not sit on the Security Council. That
country is the State of Israel. An outrage? Absolutely.

“The American
Jewish Committee (has) led the fight to end the demeaning insulting treatment
to which Israel has been constantly subjected at the UN.

“Recently we
scored a major victory in that fight. Here’s the situation: In order to be
eligible to serve on the Security Council, a country must be a member of one of
the UN’s five regional groups.

“In geographical
terms, Israel is part of the Asian group. But for years, Arab and Islamic
countries denied Israel the right to be a member of this grouping.

“Israel stood
alone. In all the world, it was the only country that did not have the required
affiliation. Literally dozens of times, we met behind closed doors with top-ranking
diplomats from around the world. We demanded an end to this injustice in the
most public forums. We placed full‑page advertisements in The New York Times. These ads galvanized world attention and forced
WEOG nations to act.

“Perhaps most
important of all, thousands and thousands of supporters of the American Jewish
Committee made their voices heard in postcards to top officials of Western
European nations.

“And recently,
the Western European and Others Group extended an invitation to Israel to join
its caucus on a temporary basis. The New
York Times attributed this victory to the American Jewish Committee’s
relentless diplomatic and public relations campaign.

“This move marks
an important step forward out of Israel’s isolation at the UN. But there’s a
catch. Israel’s invitation is only temporary. It was extended on the condition
that Israel not seek membership on the Security Council.

“Nor, under the
restrictive terms of this invitation, may Israel be present at UN posts in
Rome, Vienna, Nairobi or – importantly – Geneva, the meeting place of the UN
Human Rights Commission, a perennial bastion of Israel‑bashing.

“In essence, Israel has been
told: You may finally join the community of nations, but only if you stay in the
back of the room and keep quiet.”

(By David
Horowitz, The Jewish Press, February 16, 2001)

PALESTINIANS ELECTED SHARON

Charley Reese’s
assertion that “the Israelis have voted for war and against peace” (Feb. 13)
contains a tiny kernel of truth. By a landslide margin Israelis did vote
against the so‑called peace process.

Why? Not because
they oppose peace – the people of Israel desperately desire peace – but because
of the growing recognition that the process itself was flawed; that it is
simply impossible to achieve peace with those who refuse peace if it requires
any concessions on their part.

In reality, it
would be just as accurate to say that it was the Palestinians who elected Ariel Sharon. The sobering
truth is that Ehud Barak offered the Palestinians almost everything they asked
for: He offered them a Palestinian State; he offered them the territory that
was roughly equivalent to the return of the 1949 borders; he offered them a
capital in Jerusalem; he offered them, amazingly, even shared control of the
Temple Mount.

Yet, not only
did they turn Barak down, they responded to his incredible offer with personal
vilification and the worst display of violence and anti‑Semitic rhetoric seen
since the start of the Oslo Accords.

With Ariel
Sharon, Yasser Arafat and his henchmen are getting exactly what they deserve – a
man who may very well match their own political and ideological rigidity. A man
who, just like them, may very well say “no” to proposals thought fair and
evenhanded by the United States.

To be sure, in
the face of ongoing Arab violence and terrorism, Sharon will not be nearly as
flexible and as willing to make compromises as was Barak. It has been the
nonstop Palestinian hostility during these past five months that convinced 62
percent of Israelis – including many who had
been in the “peace camp” – that Barak’s way would prove disastrous for Israel.

So, sorry,
Charley, but let’s be honest: It was the Palestinians who, once again, missed the opportunity.

Still, peace may
one day come to the Middle East. But it will come only when Israel finds a
genuine partner for peace; it will come when Israeli concessions will be
matched by, at least, some concessions on the part of the Palestinians; it will
come when those who sit opposite Israel at the peace table will not revert back
to bloodshed whenever they cannot get what they want through negotiations.

Until that time, the
Palestinians may well have to learn to live with Ariel Sharon, a man who,
because of Palestinian intransigence and virulent hatred of Israel, they
themselves put into office.